Different But The Same
by DebajoDeLaCafeina
Summary: Possibly from Gibbs' POV, comparing Abby to the daughter he lost. Not intentionally Gabby, but I guess you can read as much into their relationship as you want. Oneshot.


(Disclaimer: None of it's ours. None whatsoever. _Nada_. Got it? This was inspired by two NCIS fan videos I watched; one focusing on Gibb's remembering his dead first wife Shannon and daughter Kelly in Hiatus, and another about his relationship with Abby. It's not a romantic pairing, more a...father/daughter...thing. But you can read as much into it as you want. Okie pokie, lets go)

* * *

They were both his girls. He would have killed and died for them both. But though in that respect they were the same, they were both so very, very different. 

One was small, young, innocent; with strawberry blonde hair that shone gold in the sunlight and sparkling eyes that smiled whenever her mouth did. That smile made him feel both old and young and proud and weak at the knees. She knew it, so she always smiled for him. Whenever he though about her he remembered her smile before anything else. She was always so carefree and naive, it both endeared him to her and frightened him. So he protected her.

The other was almost as tall as he was, older than the first, and couldn't have been innocent if her life depended on it. If you took her into the sunlight God only knew what it might do to her, but her green eyes could light up her lab and pierce right through you in a single glance. She was always so happy and affectionate to everyone that her smiles were like paper money, but he appreciated every one of them. She could get round him and she knew it. Whenever she was sad or in pain, it was so different from her normal effervescent self that it showed instantly, however she trued to hide it. So her protected her, too.

* * *

The first was always asking him to play with her, cherishing the all-too-short times they had together as a family as much as he did. She had loved her dolls; they could spend hours at a time with her making up games with the little plastic people in her hands and him watching, laughing, joining in when she asked him too. It was almost funny to anyone who watched to see a strong, tough marine playing with his little girl. But to see the look on his face as he held her, looking into her tearful eyes as he promised he'd write, stay safe, and come home soon - that didn't seem very funny at all. So he reassured her. 

The second had a very different kind of fun. Her work was her play, her lust for the tasks at hand making it seem effortless. She rarely complaining, and never giving up; that was what he admired about her and a common trait in both of their personalities. She was always eager to show him what she had found, accepting her rewards of caffeine gratefully as she fitted together the puzzle pieces of their cases before his eyes. She hated asking for help or feeling she had failed. The few occasions she did, he would hold her tightly, kiss her temple and tell her he believed in her. So he reassured her, too.

* * *

One saw the beauty in everything, and brought it out instantly just by being there and shining her light on it. She could find an upside to everything; often being the one to remind her mother that her father would always come back as they parted ways in a whirlwind of emotion and promises. She was just a normal little girl, but to him she was the world; and every little triumph or milestone in her life he was there to smile proudly and tell everyone that was his girl. And she would smile back as if to remind him that she did it all for him; glowing with happiness at his words. He cherished her.

The other had long ago faced up to the ugly side of the world; staring it in the face and confronting it on more than one occasion. But it was her job to find out the truth, and until she had hard evidence to support the good, bad or ugly of a situation she tried to see the good in people. She stood out like a rose in a field of weeds, but it was a beautiful contrast; her happy personality, lively nature and brilliant mind making her fantastic as both a friend and colleague. Whenever she gave him answers, he always let her know how much it meant, and how much he appreciated; whether it was one of the gifts of caffeine that got her through the day or a gentle kiss on the cheek. And she basked joyfully in his praise. So he cherished her, too.

* * *

The first was small enough to hug him around his waist like she was made to fit right there for him to hold. She would run to him, flinging her arms around him when she was happy; and he would hug her back and enjoy the sunshine her high spirits brought to him. She was half-him, as well as something new and entirely individual and she was his to hold and to keep safe. When she was sad, he would bend down to her level and let her put her small head on his shoulder, her thin arms around his neck; allaying her fears, calming her nightmares and soothing her cut knees or grazed hands. He let her cry into the front of his jacket if she needed to, rubbing her back and making everything feel alright again. He held her.

The second was almost as tall as him but unlike most of her colleagues showed no qualms about flinging her arms around him in an unrestrained display of affection. He would hug her back, even when her hold was restricting his breathing; to show that he was happy to see her too. Her happiness was his happiness, but on the rare occasions she let her sad feelings show, he was there for her. He was the one who let her know that as long as he was there nobody had a hope in hell of hurting her, rubbing her back and holding her close as her green eyes filled with rare tears. When she was scared, he didn't ridicule her, but opened his arms and let her confide in him as he hugged her to him, the warmth of his body soothing her fears. So he held her, too.

* * *

One was his own, an incredible creature that he had created; the first person ever to make her daddy speechless. He had watched her grow, seen every small milestone in her young life and been there to hold her hand the whole way through. He was her rock, and she was his light; you only had to look at the pair of them to see a hundred similarities and an unbreakable bond. While his world was full of those who would lie to him without a backward glance and kill in an instant for their own personal gain, it had been a beautiful relief to have someone so pure and innocent so close to his heart. When she was ripped from him he had felt as if a part of him had been ripped away, and nothing could ever replace the gaping whole she had left in his life. She was dead, and he was very much alive. But she was still there in his mind, lighting up his memory. He loved her. 

The other was strange in a thousand ways, but their relationship was so honest and understanding that he could look past the quirks and see her as she really was. He had seen her hone her abilities and gain experience as long as they had worked together, supporting him as he supported her and relying on him as he relied on her, whether she realized it or not. She may have been the one who slept in a coffin, but she was so alive that she could light up her lab just by being herself and he marveled at her; not just because of her expertise in an area of technology that was mostly an incomprehensible blur to him. The fact that she had faith in him when a hundred others would doubt and question him made him grateful to her, and it never felt like enough to reciprocate. He loved her, too.

* * *

(A/N: So, what did you think? Review and tell us, if you like it. You can make up your own minds if it's Gabby or not, but since it's comparing Abby and Kelly, Gibbs' daughter...eew. Let's not go there. Thanks for reading ) 


End file.
